Through The Years
by AJ Kenobi
Summary: He was four years old when he first met Caterina Valentine. A look at Beck and Cat's lives from four to twenty-four. A short-chaptered story, sort of AU. Now complete.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:**

**Bwahahaaaa...**

**No, I'm not being rebellious.**

**I asked my Dad if I could post this.**

**He said yes.**

**I tried not to scream.**

**Not sure if he'll keep letting me post things, but just in case he doesn't...enjoy. :) This is just the first chapter. There'll be more to come, very soon, I promise I'll try as hard as I can. My dad got fired, so...yeah. :( Pray for me guys.**

**_Read, Relish, Review._  
**

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He was four years old when he first met Caterina Valentine.

It was your typical Sunday afternoon in early June. It wasn't too hot, but it was no doubt hot enough for ice cream. After a long and tiresome game of catch in his backyard, Beck Oliver, along with his best friend André Harris were taking a little break from their game that Saturday afternoon. They currently sat on the Oliver's porch steps, licking their respective cones as they talked.

"Have you met your new neighbors yet?" André asked.

Beck shook his head, licking a few rainbow sprinkles from his vanilla cone. "Nope. I saw them move in yesterday, though."

"Do they have any kids?"

Beck nodded. "At least one, I think. I saw someone moving some toys and stuff into their garage."

André sighed as he finished his treat. "Ready to keep playing?"

Beck polished off the last of his cone and nodded, brushing off his blue jeans before running over to pick up the red ball lying in the freshly cut grass.

"Should we keep playing catch, or a different game?"

André shrugged. "We could play hot potato until my mom comes to pick me up."

Beck smiled. "Okay! We'll play up to twenty." He tossed the ball to his friend. "You go first."

André tossed the ball back to Beck, signifying the start of the game. In unison the boys counted out loud, eagerly trying to get the ball off their hands when it was tossed back and forth. However on hot potato seventeen, André threw the ball a bit too hard. Beck jumped up as high as he could to catch it, but it sailed over his head and flew the fence, landing into the neighbor's backyard.

Beck groaned. "André!"

André smiled sheepishly. "Sorry…"

Beck sighed. "Who's gonna go get it, you or me?"

Just as André opened his mouth to answer, a station wagon pulled up in front of the driveway. Andre smiled as the window rolled down. "Hi mom!"

Beck waved as well. "Hi, Mrs. Harris!"

She waved at Beck and smiled. "Hi Beck! Make sure to tell your mom I said hello."

Beck nodded. "I will."

"André, sweetheart we have to go, we don't wanna be late getting to Grandma's house."

"Okay," Andre said with a sigh. "See you later Beck!"

Beck waved to his best friend as he got in the car. "Bye, André! Maybe tomorrow after school we can play space aliens!"

André smiled. "Okay!"

Beck sighed as the car pulled away and drove further down the street. He was always sad whenever André had to leave; he didn't have many friends at school besides André, not to mention being an only child tended to be lonesome.

Suddenly he felt a hand tap shoulder. "Is this yours?"

"Gah!" Beck cried out as he whirled around, coming face to face with a brunette girl that looked to be his age, looking at him with sparkling brown eyes as she held out his ball to him.

"Um, yeah…" Beck began awkwardly, unsure of what to say. "How'd you find it?"

"It landed in my backyard," The girl explained, pointing to the large wooden fence that separated the two houses. "It ruined my tea party!" She stuck out her bottom lip disapprovingly, obviously upset.

"Oh, well then um, I'm sorry." Beck apologized, scratching his head. "You see me and my friend André were-"

"It's okay, I'm not really mad!" The girl exclaimed, interrupting Beck as she smiled brightly and laughed. Her pigtails bounced as she bent down to place the ball on the ground and rolled it next to Beck's feet.

"There you go!"

Beck smiled at her. "Thanks."

"It was no trouble." She then extended her hand. "I'm Caterina Valentine, but most people call me Cat!"

Beck wiped his hand on his jeans before shaking hers. "Hi, I'm Beck Oliver."

She smiled brightly, dimples and all. "Can we be friends? You seem really nice!"

Beck shrugged, he could use another friend. "Sure, I'd like to-"

"Yaay, I love making new friends!" Beck suddenly found Cat's arms around him, hugging him tightly. Confused, Beck just stood there with his arms lying limply at his sides.

When she pulled away from him, Cat was still smiling. "Do you wanna come over and play with me?"

"No, I have to eat dinner. Maybe some other time."

Cat's smile fell for the first time. "Awww, okay. Maybe tomorrow, or the day after that we can play, okay?"

Beck shrugged and smiled a little. "Uh, sure."

"Cat! Time for dinner!" A voice called from over the fence.

Cat sighed. "That's my mommy calling me, I have to go. But maybe, if you come over tomorrow you can meet my new baby brother Frankie! He's cute and weird at the same time!"

Beck didn't have time to respond, because before he knew it Cat had took off running in the direction in which she had come.

Beck watched her go, shoving his hands in his pockets. Cat was different, no doubt, but she was nice, and she had a pretty smile.

As his mother called him inside for dinner, he couldn't help but feel that he and Cat would be the best of friends.

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**So that's it, for now. I'll try to update when I can. :P**

**-AJ-**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:**

**Here's the second chapter, as promised. :) Sorry for not updating sooner. ****Soulful Ariana, CourtxBatFan, iCraveBat, LittleMissV, Xxxx4evaSummerxxxx, Megan0104, Jeremy Shane, AriBatFan and batzevieforever-thanks for reviewing, I appreciate it. :)**

**_Read, Relish, Review._**

* * *

He was eleven years old when he made the vow to protect her no matter what.

That particular Monday had started off as a bad one for Beck—he woke up late, eaten a pretty crappy breakfast made by his mom, had put on two different socks and just barely missed the bus.

Plus, as if things couldn't get any worse it was raining as he walked to school.

He sighed, thankful that at least he had his raincoat.

The walk to school had taken longer than he had been anticipating; he glanced at his watch (which was waterproof, thankfully) and saw that his first class had already ended. Beck simply rolled his eyes as he finally reached the school doors.

He now knew exactly why he hated Mondays.

When he finally got inside, the hallways were filled with students—some he knew, some he didn't—walking and or running to get to their next classes. Beck removed his raincoat and immediately headed for his locker. Quickly unzipping his backpack he put anything he wouldn't need for the next class inside of his locker before slamming it shut, and as he turned around that's when he saw he and André's new friend Robbie running towards him at top speed.

"Beck, Beck!"

Beck was worried as he slung his backpack over his shoulder. "Hey Rob, what's wrong?"

"Cat's in trouble, those new guys are messing with her!"

That was all Beck needed to hear. "Show me where they are."

Robbie turned around and hurriedly began to walk in the direction in which he had come. When they arrived at Cat's locker, Beck was already boiling with anger. Brandon Carter, who was not just a new student but a new bully, along with his brother Trey were on either side of Cat, laughing at her and making jokes. Cat appeared to be shaking in fear as she leaned up against her locker, clutching her books and her notebook to her chest tightly.

"Just leave me alone!" She yelled.

"_Just leave me alone!_" Brandon repeated, mocking her voice almost perfectly. Trey chuckled, stepping closer to Cat and knocking the books out of her arms.

"You guys are so mean!" Cat said, her big brown eyes filling with tears.

Beck had had enough. Clenching his fist, he dropped his backpack on the floor and marched over to Brandon, wanting to beat his brains out.

Cat's eyes immediately lit up when she saw him. "Beck!"

This made Brandon and Trey turn around. Brandon smirked. "Well, well, if it isn't the little pipsqueak. Come swoop in and save the day?"

Beck glared at the both of them. "If you guys don't leave Cat alone, I swear I'm gonna kill you."

The brothers laughed like it was the funniest thing in the world. "Ooh, I'm so scared!" Trey said, feigning a fearful expression as he grabbed his brother's arm. "Pretty boy is gonna kill me, Brandon, help!"

Cat frowned while the brothers continued to laugh. "Stop making fun of him! He didn't do anything to you!"

"Shut up!" Trey growled at Cat, suddenly grabbing her wrist and holding it tightly.

"Ow, you're hurting me! Let me go!" Cat tried to squirm away from the bigger boy's grasp but to no avail.

_That _did it.

Angrier than ever, Beck stepped up and punched Trey square in the nose, making him stagger back into the lockers which made them clang loudly. Cat took a few steps back and squeaked in fear.

Brandon's blue eyes flashed with surprise and anger. "So you think you can just punch my brother and get away with it—"

"Dude, no." Trey grabbed his brother's arm, breathing heavily as blood dripped from his nose. "Let's just get out of here."

Brandon brushed off his clothes and glared at Beck as he and Trey walked away. "I'm gonna get you for this, Oliver!"

Without warning Cat threw her tiny arms around his neck and hugged him. This time, Beck gratefully returned it. "Are you okay, Cat?"

She nodded before pulling away. "Those boys are _so_ mean."

"I know, they're just stupid jerks." He sighed and then grabbed her hand, examining her wrist. "How's your wrist?"

"It's fine, just a little sore." She gave him a quick smile. "Thanks for saving me, Beck."

Beck gave her a lopsided grin. "Anytime you need me, I'm here. I promise you, Cat."

Cat beamed brightly and pecked his cheek. "You're the best friend ever."

Beck blushed and laughed. "C'mon, let's get to class."

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**A/N:**

**Well, I liked it. Did you? :) Tell me in a review!**

**-AJ-**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:**

**Sorry for the late update! **

**This chapter and the next will be from Cat's POV. I decided to switch, because I kinda wanna get her feelings in there too, y'know? Thanks to everyone who reviewed, btw. And to those that followed but didn't review, please do so! I need your feedback! **

**_Read, Relish, Review._**

* * *

She was fourteen years old when they shared their first kiss.

So many things had transpired in the course of three years for the both of them— some good, some bad (in her opinion). Firstly, they were accepted into Hollywood Arts, aka one of the most popular and prestigious schools in L.A.—which was very good.

The bad? Well, Beck had gotten himself a girlfriend. Not just any girlfriend, no, his girlfriend was Jade West—the mean, pushy Goth teen that everyone at HA tried to avoid at all costs. The girl that pretty much hated anything nice, especially Cat initially. However Beck somehow managed to get Jade to like Cat, even unwillingly.

Still, Cat kept her distance from Jade many reasons, not just the fact that she was mean.

The project assigned by their acting teacher, Sikowitz was fairly simple: come up with an angsty romance scene and perform it in front of class on Monday.

It was a Friday night; normally, when working on a school project together Beck and Cat would be over the Oliver's house, but due to the fact that his parents had started fighting again Beck felt they both would be safer at Cat's house.

"I don't know if I can do this, Beck…" Cat began, sighing as she looked over the two-page script that Beck had written the day before. "Acting is your thing, not mine!"

Beck smiled and ruffled her hair. "Aw c'mon Cat, you'll do fine. Acting is something you'll just have to get used to, like I'm getting used to you having red hair."

Cat giggled, blushing for an unknown reason. "Kay kay, I'll try it I guess."

Beck tossed his own script onto the bed where Cat was sitting. "Okay you ready to start, or do you need to look at the script some more?"

Cat shook her head. "I think I've got it."

Beck nodded and started his first line. "You say the first line."

"Oh, yeah!" Cat giggled again before putting on her most serious face. "I saw you with that girl today."

"What girl?" He asked nonchalantly.

"Don't play dumb with me, you know what girl!" Cat sprang up from the bed and walked over to Beck, poking a finger in his chest. "Why are you hanging out with her?"

Beck smiled inwardly. Cat was doing a very good job playing a jealous ex-girlfriend. "What do you care? We broke up, remember?"

Cat frowned, mocking anger. "You broke up with me!"

Beck paused briefly, trying to recall his lines. "I broke up with you because you were cheating on me with Derek!"

Cat gasped. "For the last time, he kissed me!"

"Well how was I supposed to know that?! I walk into school and I see some jerk kissing my girlfriend, how do you expect me to react?"

Cat let out a deep sigh. "That part doesn't matter, Avan…" Cat walked up to Beck, her heart racing as she laid her hands flat on his chest and looked deep into his eyes. "What matters is that I love you. I never stopped and I never will."

Beck smiled, putting his large hands over her smaller ones. "Do you mean that, Ariana?"

"With everything inside of me." She whispered. Cat suddenly felt jitters in her stomach, although she didn't know why. It was just Beck, not to mention they had done something like this before.

So why was she nervous now?

"I love you too…" Cat could feel the heat rising to her cheeks as he pressed his lips against her forehead. When he pulled away, he was still smiling at her, and she couldn't help but smile back.

Cat didn't know what had come over her in that moment. She very well knew it was the end of the scene, yet she couldn't help herself for some reason.

Almost timidly she reached up and pressed her lips to Beck's, kissing him softly. She felt him tense up the slightest bit before gently kissing her back. Her heart thudded so loudly against her chest she thought sure he would hear it.

All too soon they broke apart from each other. Cat was blushing furiously, and she stammered as she tried to find the right words to say. "B-Beck I'm s-sorry."

Beck laughed a bit. "For what? That was the perfect way to end the scene. My way was probably too boring."

Cat didn't know why, but her heart fell, just the tiniest bit. She tucked some hair behind her ear and smiled. "Yeah, it was great…"

Beck grabbed his backpack and his copy of the script, preparing to leave. "No, you were great. You're an amazing actress, Cat. You did better than me." He chuckled lightly and tapped her nose. "Don't let anyone else tell you otherwise, okay?

Cat giggled. "Kay kay."

Beck headed for the door. "I'm gonna go, I'm supposed to be going to the movies with Jade in an hour or so."

At the mention of Jade, Cat's smile fell a little. "Oh, okay. Bye! Maybe we can practice again tomorrow?"

Beck nodded. "That'd be great. See you then Cat."

Cat opened her mouth to speak, to say that the kiss wasn't apart of the act, that maybe, just maybe after all these years she was developing feelings for her best friend—but she didn't, because before she knew it he was out the door.

Cat sighed and flopped on her bed. She was crazy, that much was certain.

She just couldn't be falling for Beck Oliver, her best friend for years that now had a girlfriend…or could she?

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**A/N:**

**Meh, I didn't like this that much. Did you guys? Lemme know.**

**-AJ-**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:**

**So, so, SO sorry for not updating, guys! Things have been extremely busy these past few weeks, I haven't even had time to get on my laptop! XD **

**I'm going on vacation this weekend, so this will be the last chapter for a bit, at least until Monday. I'm gonna try my best to write the next chapter (I've already started on it) and post it. If I'm not to able to, you're gonna just have to deal with it. :P **

**Thanks for the reviews, I love them so much! **

**_Read, Relish, Review._**

* * *

She was sixteen years old when he protected her from the earthquake.

Believe it or not, she and Jade had gotten to be better friends over the years, even though Jade often got annoyed by Cat's constant cheerfulness. When Tori came to Hollywood Arts however, they both shared their own dislike for her. Jade because Tori was constantly flirting with her boyfriend, and Cat because Beck tended not to hang out with her as much as she would've liked.

Ever since Beck and Jade had broken up (yes, after two years it had actually happened) Cat noticed that her best friend tended to sulk and prefer to be alone, especially in between classes.

So naturally, that's where Cat found her—Jade sat with her legs crossed on the linoleum floor, cutting up something with her favorite pair of scissors.

"Hi Jadey!" Cat said cheerfully, waving to the Gothic teen.

Jade shot the redhead a glare. "Didn't I tell you _not_ to call me that?"

"Sorry…" Cat apologized quickly, a worried frown etching across her face. "Am I in trouble?"

Jade rolled her eyes as she stood. "No Cat, you're not…but what do you want?"

Cat's face lit up again. "Are you doing anything tonight?"

Jade folded her arms. "What, you think just because Beck and I broke up I don't have anything to do tonight?"

"Um, no, that's not what I said—"

"Well it just so happens that I do have plans for tonight, so I can't do anything with you—"

"Aw, Jade, please!" Cat pouted, sticking out her bottom lip. "I have to babysit my mom's boss's dog tonight and it's a big apartment and I don't wanna be there all alone..."

Jade groaned. "Fine! I'll help you babysit…but you _owe_ me, babygirl."

* * *

What Cat expected to be a simple babysitting job with her best friend turned out much to be worse.

Although Cat specifically told her not to, Jade had been going about the apartment, touching things she knew she wasn't allowed to. As a result, she broke a window and a guitar signed by Elvis that was hanging from the ceiling.

However thing soon got better for the both of them. Even though Jade wasn't too happy about it, Cat had called Beck and Robbie to come and help fix the guitar and the window.

As Jade held the ladder for him, Robbie was just finishing up rehanging the guitar while Beck and Cat thanked the window repairman for coming.

"Thanks for fixing the window." Beck told the balding man.

"Yeah," Cat said while twirling some of her hair around her fingers, "And we didn't even notice your lack of hair."

The man sighed as he left, making Beck chuckle. Beck then turned around and looked up at Robbie and Jade.

"Everything all good up there?" He asked.

"Yuperooni!" Robbie exclaimed as he climbed back down carefully.

"And you can't even see where it broke." Jade added.

Cat smiled. "Yay, now my mom's boss won't know anything bad happened! Thanks so much, guys."

"Aw, it was nothing Cat." Robbie said.

"Whatever," Jade spat, always being the last one to express feelings.

Beck smiled and ruffled Cat's hair. "It was nothing, kitten."

Cat blushed as her smile grew wider, ignoring the look Jade was giving she and Beck.

"Oh wow, is this a real human skull?" Robbie asked no one in particular, picking up and examining the skull that Jade had had earlier.

"Yeah, give it so I can put it back." Jade said, trying to pry the skull away from Robbie's hands.

Robbie frowned. "No, I'm looking at it!"

Jade tugged the skull towards her. "Robbie, just give it to me!"

Robbie tugged it back towards him. "Jade, stop—"

Another tug. "Robbie, we don't have time for this—"

"Jade, c'mon!"

"FINE!" Jade screamed, suddenly releasing her hold on the skull. Not expecting that, Robbie subsequently bobbled the skull and it flew straight into the glass table, shattering it instantly.

Cat gasped as the guitar became unhitched once again, swinging into the lamp that was nearest to she and Beck and making it explode.

In an instant, Cat felt Beck wrap his arms around her small frame, protecting her from the sparks that showered the room.

Hot tears pricked Cat's eyes as she looked about the room that looked like a tornado had whipped through it. She knew she was going to be in big trouble—first with her mom, and if that wasn't bad enough Mr. Gibbons would be furious with her.

Cat put her hand over her mouth as Beck finally released his hold on her. She knew she was already dead meat.

"Cat, please don't cry…" Jade began, her worry for the redhead obvious in her facial expression.

"But…" Cat began, suddenly being interrupted by a buzz on the intercom. Slowly she walked over and pressed the button to answer it. "H-hello?" She asked feebly.

"Cat? It's Carl Gibbons, I forgot my keys. Could you buzz me in?"

Cat felt as if all the air had been sucked out of her. She turned around to face Beck, Jade and Robbie. "It's my mom's boss!"

"Cat?" Gibbons repeated.

Cat pressed the button again. "Um, okay! Or maybe you could go to Europe for two weeks!"

Gibbons was in no mood for jokes from the sound of his tone. "Cat, buzz me in."

"Kay kay…" The tears were already spilling fast as Cat walked over to a chair and collapsed in it, sobbing her heart out.

"Cat, it'll be okay." Robbie said, trying to offer his sympathy.

"Yeah, don't worry about it kitten." Beck said softly, patting her back. "We'll just tell Mr. Gibbons everything—"

The ground started to shake—slowly at first, but then it eventually picked up and started to rumble violently. Coober started barking, covering his face with his paws.

"What is it?" Cat yelled as she sprang up.

"Earthquake, cover your heads!" Beck yelled as he suddenly grabbed Cat and pulled her into a safe corner of the room.

As Beck pressed her body more tightly against his, a million thoughts ran through Cat's mind. Although she was certainly glad that he was protecting her, she didn't want Beck to get hurt just because of her.

Cat's worries were quickly put to rest as the violent shaking slowed and then eventually came to a complete halt.

There was a bit of an eerie silence as Cat opened her eyes and looked around. Everything in the apartment was even worse than before the earthquake had started.

"Everyone okay?" Beck asked, his voice quivering a bit.

Cat nodded timidly, looking up at him. "Thanks." She whispered.

His lips curled into a tiny smile, not bothering to take his arm from around her waist. "It was nothing."

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******God that ending sucked, but I didn't feel like having Gibbons appear. I'm so glad to FINALLY have this stupid chapter done, it's taken me way too long and I apologize for that again.**

**Next two chapters will be in Beck's POV. Only two chapters left after that one, I think. xD**

**Review? Won't take but a minute.**

**-AJ-**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:**

**Sorry for the late update, Hurricane Sandy and other crap kinda prevented me from being on here. ;) Originally this chapter was going to have Beck and Cat fighting and there was gonna be screaming and crying and stuff…but I scratched that and wrote this instead. xD I like this better, now that I think about it.**

**Thanks for the reviews.**

**_Read, Relish, Review._**

* * *

Two things happened when he was eighteen years old: first, he saved her life; and second, he finally realized that he loved her.

It was a rainy Wednesday morning, much like that day nearly seven years ago when he and Cat were in middle school. Speaking of his redheaded best friend, he was in his truck, en route to pick her up so they could go the movies—just as friends, of course.

Deciding to break the silence he was in, Beck turned on the radio and flipped to his favorite pop station.

The last few bars of _Stronger_ by Kelly Clarkson faded out, and gave way to the announcer. "That was Kelly Clarkson, here on 99.1 Kiss F.M. Up next we have a song from a new to the station artist, and she's got a beautifully amazing voice that nobody can match—best part about it she lives right here in Hollywood. Here she is singing Rihanna's 'Love The Way You Lie', it's Cat Valentine here on 99.1 Kiss F.M."

Beck smiled as he turned up the volume. He absolutely loved hearing Cat singing on the radio, not to mention that Love The Way You lie was one of his favorite songs.

**_On the first page of our story_**

**_The future seemed so bright_**

**_Then this thing turned out so evil_**

**_Don't know why I'm still surprised_**

**_Even angels have their wicked schemes_**

**_And you take that to new extremes_**

**_But you'll always be my hero_**

**_Even though you've lost your mind_**

**_Just gonna stand there and watch me burn_**

**_Well that's all right because I like the way it hurts_**

**_Just gonna stand there and hear me cry_**

**_That's all right because I love the way you lie_**

**_I love the way you lie_**

Almost a year ago now, a hotshot record producer had discovered Cat on YouTube, where she posted many videos of her singing covers of famous songs. The producer liked what he saw and heard, and in seemingly no time at all, Cat had released her first single.

Beck honestly couldn't have been any more proud of her—she was an amazing girl with an equally amazing voice that he loved very much.

Wait, loved?

Where did _that_ come from?

Cat was his best friend, and normally people didn't have feelings for their best friends…but the more Beck thought about it, the more he realized that all these years he had been in denial. He was very much in love with Cat but was too much of a coward to admit it.

Before he knew it, however, he had pulled up and parked in front of the Valentine's house. He was puzzled when he didn't see Cat outside, waiting for him on the porch like she always did.

_Where is she? She's always on time._

Beck glanced at his watch. They had plenty of time before the movie started, but he did like to get there early, and Cat knew that.

He sighed as he got out of the car, walking up to the door as he prepared to knock on it. He stopped, however when he saw the door was slightly ajar.

A tremor of nervousness passed through Beck. The fact that the door was unlocked and already open unnerved him; he knew that after Cat's parent's divorced, Cat was forced to stay at home and take care of Frankie without any help from her father whatsoever.

Even with that, Cat _always_ kept the door locked because she didn't want her brother trying to escape from the house.

Beck placed his hand on the doorknob and pushed the door open all the way. His lips parted slightly in surprise as he walked inside, staring at the sight before him.

Everything in the normally neat Valentine living room had been practically turned inside out and upside down. Chairs were flipped over, tables broken, glass strewn all across the carpeted floor—it was a complete and total mess…not to mention the eerie silence that enveloped the house like a dark cloud on a sunny day.

At this point Beck's heart was pounding with fear. In that moment, his mind was only focused on one thing alone: finding Cat.

"Cat!" He called out as loud as he could. "Cat, where are you?"

Silence bounced throughout the house, making Beck worry even more. He bounded up the stairs at lightning speed, heading straight for Cat's bedroom. He pushed the door wide open, and although the room looked as if a tornado had passed through it, Beck barely even noticed it—there, lying motionless on the pink shag rug, was the petite redhead.

"No, oh God no," Beck said breathlessly, rushing over to her and dropping to his knees. She _couldn't_ be dead, not his little Kitty-Cat…no, just _no_.

"Cat…" He whispered, taking her in his arms and laying her head in his lap. A lump formed in his throat as he examined her pale face—cuts and bruises all over—no doubt the result of her father unleashing all anger out on her because of alcohol in his system.

Beck had been aware Mr. Valentine's drunken fits of rage, and he desperately wanted to take Cat away from the sniveling bastard, but as always Cat assured him that she could "handle it".

Obviously not.

Immediately Beck checked for a sign of a pulse—thank God, there was one, however faint it was.

But he needed to hurry if he wanted to save the girl he loved.

* * *

Beck ran a hand through his hair and looked at the clock in the waiting room. It was nearly midnight, and he still knew nothing about Cat's condition. It was very frustrating for him, and the fact that Tori and the rest of the gang were telling him to calm down wasn't helping in the least bit.

"This is all my fault." He muttered under his breath.

"How is any of this your fault?" Jade asked. "It's not like you knew her dad was gonna beat her up—"

"But I _did_ know he was abusing her, and I should've done something about it!" Beck spat back, the stress of the past few hours evident in his voice. He wearily ran a hand over his face. "I just want her to be okay…I _need_ her to be okay."

André patted his best friend's back. "She will be man. Even though she's small, Lil' Red is strong. She'll pull through."

"Beck Oliver?"

Beck suddenly stood as he saw a gray-haired man walking towards he and the rest of the gang.

"I'm Beck Oliver, sir."

The man nodded. "I'm Dr. Wilson. You all are here for a miss Caterina Valentine?"

Beck nodded, nervousness pulsating throughout him. "Is she okay?"

Dr. Wilson smiled warmly. "Yes, she'll be fine. Not too much damage done, considering she took such a beating. Her wrist is sprained, and of course there are the cuts and bruises. She'll be staying the night and then she can go home."

Beck let out a breath of relief. "Thank God…can we see her?"

The doctor nodded. "She wants to see all of you, but of course one at a time. She did ask for you though, Beck. You can go right in, but not for too long. I'll show you where her room is."

Beck nodded. "Thank you sir."

Dr. Wilson led Beck down a seemingly long corridor, towards one of the rooms. Beck cringed as the pungent smell of alcohol and medicines assaulted his nostrils.

"You're not used to the smell are you?'

Beck shook his head. "No, I've rarely been."

"That's a _good_ thing," he responded. "Well, here we are. Remember, five minutes."

Beck nodded as the doctor walked away. He entered the dimly lit room and smiled as his eyes landed on Cat, who was laughing and playing with a stuffed giraffe in her lap. Save for the minor bruises and cuts, she was just like her old self.

"Hey Cat," he said softly as he walked over to the bed and pulled up a chair to sit in.

"Hi Beck!" she said, most but not all of the enthusiasm in her voice.

"Look at the giraffe I got!" she exclaimed, waving the toy in front of his face.

Beck smiled. "Aw, cute. How'd you get him?"

Cat smiled back. "One of the nurses gave him to me. He and Mr. Longneck will be good friends!"

Beck's smile slowly faded. He reached out and rubbed her arm comfortingly. "How're you feeling, babygirl?"

She shrugged. "I'm okay, I guess...but Beck, you didn't have to do that. I could've handled it."

Beck shook his head. "No, you couldn't have, Cat. You couldn't when you first told me and you couldn't today. You could've died because of him—"

"I know, but maybe I wanted to die! Do you know how it is to live a life like that, to have to constantly watch your crazy little brother while trying to keep him safe from your drunken dad? Huh? You should've just left me there."

"No, I wouldn't have done that to you. You don't deserve that, Cat, nobody does—"

Cat had tears in her eyes as she turned her head away from him. "No Beck, you're wrong. I do deserve it. Maybe death is the cure to my sick life."

Beck gently cupped her cheek with his hand, forcing her to look at him. "Cat, listen to me. Your life isn't sick. Sure it's not perfect, but no one's is…" He gently ran his thumb over one of her bruises. "Cat, to be honest I think _I'm_ the cure for your life right now. That's why I didn't leave you there—you mean too much to me."

"D-do you mean that?" Cat asked, her voice trembling a bit.

Beck smiled a little. "Of course I do, kitten…I love you. There's no other girl in the world that makes me feel like I do when I'm around you. You're perfect to me, no matter what's going on or how you feel. I've always loved you and I always will."

Cat blushed as her lips curled up in a tiny smile. "I love you too."

Without any hesitation, Beck closed the gap between them and kissed Cat gently, his lips moving against hers in perfect rhythm. Even without any on, she still tasted like cherry lip-gloss. He felt Cat run her fingers through his hair as the kiss gradually deepened.

All too soon, the kiss ended as the need for air became necessary. Beck leaned his forehead against Cat's, smiling as he looked into her eyes.

"Cat, will you be my girlfriend?"

Cat giggled. "Of course I will, silly!"

Beck laughed, kissing her again. His life couldn't have been any more perfect.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Aww, that was sweet. Well in any event I got grounded, so updates will be slow. Blame my mom. _ Hope you enjoyed! **

**Review, if you please…**

**-AJ-**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:**

**I am SO SO SO SORRY! Ugh, I've just been so busy, I've literally had no time to write or update. But there's only one chapter left after this. :( Thanks for the reviews.**

**_Read, Relish, Review._**

* * *

He was twenty-one years old when he proposed to her.

The idea itself had crossed Beck's mind quite frequently in the three years that he and Cat and been dating. He knew he loved Cat with everything inside of him, and he definitely wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

Sometimes, however he wondered if Cat wanted to marry him. It wasn't that he hadn't been a good boyfriend; it was quite the opposite. But was he _really_ ready to be a husband? Marriage was a commitment that one didn't easily get out of—was he ready for that type of relationship yet?

After graduating the both of them decided to move into an apartment together in order to save money—which, in a way was being married depending on how you looked at it, but Beck knew it wasn't real.

And it wouldn't be real until he actually gathered up enough courage to ask her.

On that sunny afternoon in June, however, he finally got that courage.

* * *

It had been a long day for Beck, and it wasn't even half way over yet. He had spent over two hours shooting for one of his latest movie projects, which had taken a lot out of him. He hated that he had missed Cat's concert downtown, but in a way he was glad—it gave him more time to put his plan into action.

After making a quick stop at the apartment, Beck got in his truck and headed towards André's house. He quickly grabbed his phone and dialed Cat's number, knowing she was probably packing up and waiting for him to pick her up.

The phone rang a few times before Cat picked up on the other line. "Hey babe!"

Beck smiled, loving the happiness in her voice. "Hey kitten, what's up? And how'd the concert go?"

Cat giggled a bit. "It was amazing, everyone was so nice and sweet to me." She then sighed. "But I wish you could've been there."

"Yeah, me too. But rehearsal kinda ran overtime and so…"

"No, no, it's okay, I'm fine!" She said quickly, not wanting to upset him. "Besides, when we get home we can just relax and stuff like that. So when are you coming?"

"Oh yeah, Cat, about that…I'm not gonna be able to pick you up." He ran a hand through his hair as he pulled up to a stoplight, trying to remember what he was supposed to say. "Something came up with uh, André, and he needs me at his house now. Besides, I wanted to take you out to dinner tonight."

"Oh, well I can have Tori come get me, that's fine. But, dinner? Can't we do it some other night? It's been a long week and I just wanted to spend the rest of the day at home—"

"Cat, please!" He interrupted her quickly, trying to hide his desperateness. "I uh, it's my treat. A-and since you've been working so hard I just wanted to do something special for you. And it's that new Italian restaurant we've wanted to try, Gianno's. Please?"

A bit of silence passed before Cat sighed in defeat. "Okay, we'll go. But I'm going home first so I can change."

Beck smiled "Great. Have Tori drop you off at around 5:00. I'll be outside waiting for you, okay?"

"Kay kay. See you then."

"Bye kitten."

After hanging up, Beck let out huge breath of relief. His plan was working perfectly.

* * *

"Okay, you guys know what to do, right?" Beck asked both André and Robbie as he tossed them their costumes.

André nodded. "Yeah, you're gonna call my phone when you and Cat are at the restaurant, and that's when me and Rob come in."

Beck smiled a bit before looking over at Robbie. "You got that, Rob?"

Robbie bit his lip, seeming a bit nervous. "I mean, I guess so, but…isn't this kind of cruel? I mean, I don't want to hurt Cat and if we do this she'll be really upset—"

"Look, Robbie—" Beck placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "It's _way_ too late to turn back now. Cat is probably already on her way to the restaurant now, and if I'm not there this whole thing will be a disaster…and I don't want that. I need this to be perfect. And I'm gonna need you and André's cooperation, okay?"

Robbie nodded. "Okay."

"Beck, what about the other people in the restaurant?" André asked. "Won't they get scared when me and Rob come in?"

Beck shook his head. "Don't worry, I've got that all taken care of. Just know that the only person who has no idea what'll be happening is Cat."

Robbie nodded again, a determined look on his face. "C'mon, let's do this."

* * *

Beck was very nervous as Cat waved goodbye to Tori and hopped out of the car, quickly walking towards the entrance of Gianno's and closer to him. As she walked over and hugged him, he silently prayed that everything would go according to plan.

"Hi," She greeted, pecking him on the lips.

Beck smiled back at her. "Hey kitten, you look beautiful as always."

She blushed. "Thanks. Ready to go inside?"

He nodded, wrapping an arm around her waist. "Yeah, let's go."

Gianno's was a small and cozy place snuggled in downtown Hollywood. Lowly lit lamps hung from the ceiling, creating a homey atmosphere for Beck, Cat at the other customers.

After a minute or so of waiting, Beck and Cat were seated in a small corner booth towards the back of the restaurant. Two cinnamon scented candles placed in the middle of the table gave off a lovely aroma, and with the soft violin music faintly being played in the background the whole scene was very romantic.

"This place looks great, Beck." Cat commented as she smiled, her Cherokee eyes shining brightly. "Thanks."

"Anything for you, Cat." Beck winked and grinned at her, which made her cheeks red as she studied her menu.

Soon a perky brunette waitress arrived at their table, giving them water and a basket of bread for the table.

Beck quickly ordered the spaghetti and meatballs and iced tea for his drink. He was thankful for Cat's indecisiveness when it came to choosing things; it just helped everything along even more.

Seeing that Cat was still preoccupied with her menu, Beck immediately seized the opportunity. He looked over at Manny, who was the manager of the restaurant and one of the main people helping him out. The balding, middle-aged Italian caught Beck's eye and nodded, signaling for him to go ahead.

Beck coughed awkwardly as he pretended to drop a spoon onto the floor. Cat glanced at him briefly, but didn't pay the action much attention.

"Oh, sorry I'll get that." Beck mumbled. He carefully slipped his phone out of his pocket and dialed André's number. He put it to his ear, waiting for it to ring at least two times before hanging up—which was the signal for André and Robbie to come to the restaurant.

"Beck, what are you doing down there?" Cat asked curiously as she bent down and looked under the table to see what her boyfriend was doing.

"GAH!" Beck cried suddenly, jerking his head up, which only resulted in him hitting hard against the underside of the table. This however caused the bread to roll out of the basket and onto the floor, and the water glass spill all over Cat's dress.

"Oh no!" Cat gasped, covering her mouth as her eyes went wide with surprise.

Beck groaned, rubbing his head as he surveyed the mess he had made. "Oh man, I'm so sorry…"

"Beck, _what_ were you doing?" Cat asked, not really angry but more so upset.

Beck fumbled around with his words. "I uhm, well you see I was just trying to—"

"Alright, everybody put your hands up and get on the ground!"

Beck looked towards the front entrance of the restaurant and groaned inwardly. Two familiar figures, dressed in ski masks and all black clothing stood by the door holding some type of weapons and pointing them at everyone.

Beck groaned, his whole plan had been ruined by his own clumsiness. He sighed, ready to call the whole thing off—but before he could do that Cat had latched onto his arm and was practically screaming at the top of her lungs.

"BECK, HELP, IT'S ROBBERS AND THEY'RE GONNA KILL US!"

Beck was about to tell Cat to calm down and explain his whole plan, but a light switch clicked in his brain. He didn't have to abandon the whole plan. Things could still work out, if he did them right from now on.

As the "robbers" went around and collected the various purses, wallets and watches from the seemingly terrified patrons, Beck thought back to Robbie's words: _"Isn't this kind of cruel? I mean, I don't want to hurt Cat and if we do this she'll be really upset…"_

"I said, gimmie your wallet dude!"

Beck looked up, snapping back into the present as he looked up at one of the men. He quickly dug in his pocket and handed it to him. After quickly giving the men her purse, Cat squeezed Beck's hand so hard he thought he would lose circulation in a few seconds.

"Hey!" The second guy, who was a bit shorter than the first one piped up, pointing to Beck. "I see something else in your pocket, hand it over!"

"No, I won't." Beck said, which only made Cat gasp in horror.

"Beck, what are you doing?! Give it to him!" She cried.

Again, Beck refused. "I said no."

Cat was near tears by then. "Beck, please just give it to him, they're gonna kill you!"

Beck shook his head. "I'm not going to give it to them, Cat!"

"Why not?!" She yelled.

"Because I'd rather give it to you!"

A cloud of silence hung in the room. Cat stared at her boyfriend, her eyes now holding tears and confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"I'd rather give it to you." He said again, much quieter. He got down on one knee and pulled out the small velvet box from his pocket. Cat's eyes widened as her gaze fell on it, and she was stunned to silence.

Beck awkwardly ran a hand through his hair. "Look, all of this—this whole robbery thing, it was all a setup! I set this up for you, Cat—" He paused, allowing André and Robbie to remove their masks. "And it was a stupid idea, but I couldn't think of anything else!"

Cat gasped in surprise, looking at her friends. "André and Robbie?!" She then looked back at Beck. "But I'm confused, why would you go to all this trouble?"

Beck sighed. "I love you. And love can make you do crazy things. I know I scared the hell out of you, and I'm sorry for that, but…I was hoping this would make up for it." He opened the box to the reveal the 8-karat sparkling silver ring.

Cat covered her mouth with her hand as she stared at it. "It's beautiful…"

Beck smiled. "Not as beautiful as you are." A few people in the room 'awwed'. "I know I'm gonna sound terribly cliché, but…Cat, you mean the world to me. If you weren't in my life, life wouldn't be worth living. You're an amazing girl, and I'm proud to be your boyfriend, but…I was wondering, if maybe you'd let me be your husband?"

The silence that followed didn't last for very long; Cat squealed and smiled as she clapped her hands together. "Of course I will."

Everyone in the room clapped as Beck let out a breath of relief, taking hold of Cat's hand and slipping the ring on her finger.

Cat was crying as she wrapped her arms around Beck's neck and kissed him passionately. Beck encircled his arms around her petite waist and brought her closer to him, deepening the passion and love between them. Once the need for air became necessary, they broke apart.

"I love you, Beck Oliver." Cat whispered, smiling softly.

"I love you, Cat Valentine."

After sharing another kiss, Cat put her lips next to Beck's ear and whispered seductively, "But that trick you pulled…you're gonna pay for that tonight, mister."

Beck grinned. "I'm so looking forward to that."

* * *

**A/N:**

**Well, I thought it sucked, which it probably did but I was trying so hard to get this out. Thanks so much for being patient, guys! Sorry for any typos!**

**Review! **

**-AJ-**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:**

**Don****'****t feel like saying much, except thanks for all of the reviews! They****'****re greatly appreciated. :) This chapter is _really_ long, mainly because you guys have been waiting so long for an update and I wanted to give you all something good. And also, Jade and Tori are in a relationship (yes, I ship Jori) in this chapter, just so you guys won****'****t be all confused about it.**

**_Read, Relish, Review._**

* * *

"Oh, I just don't know Tori!" Cat groaned to her friend worriedly as she sifted through another rack of clothes, searching for some cute outfits. The two of them, along with Jade (although she was very bored with it all) were at the mall, hanging out—something they didn't get to do very often.

Tori sighed, laying a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Look, Cat, if you don't tell Beck now, he's gonna notice eventually."

Cat bit her lip. She had taken several pregnancy tests and they all said the same thing: she and Beck were going to have a baby.

At first, Cat was excited, but then worry began to set in and it was all she could think about. How would Beck react? Would he even _want_ the baby? Their careers had them both equally busy—were they even ready to be parents yet?

Jade rolled her eyes at the redhead, folding her arms. "There are some things you can hide, but being pregnant isn't—"

"SHH!" Cat hissed, quickly slapping her hand over Jade's mouth, silencing her immediately. Jade's eyes were wide with confusion as Cat's eyes darted back and forth throughout the store.

"Cat, what the _hell_ wrong with you?!" Jade demanded, ripping the girl's hand from her mouth. "Beck's not even here, he can't hear us!"

"But he's in the mall!" She insisted. "And he's supposed to be meeting me here any minute now! For all I know he could just come up behind me and say—"

"Hey, kitten!"

"OH GOD!" Cat screamed as she heard Beck's voice and felt his large hands on her shoulders. She shrieked and hurriedly ran over to Tori, clutching the Latina's arm as she hid behind her.

Naturally, Beck (along with a few other patrons in the store that were staring at them) were utterly confused at Cat's quite random and sudden outburst.

"W-what's going on?" Beck asked, his eyes wide as he stared at Tori, who was just as confused as he was.

"Uh...nothing!" Tori said nervously, at a loss for words. As always however, Jade took the lead. She looked at Cat and folded her arms. "Cat, please let go of Tori."

Cat slowly stepped away from Tori, but she still refused to look at Beck.

"Did I miss something, or…?" Beck stared at the three girls, searching for some sort of explanation for his wife's behavior.

Jade simply shook her head, taking hold of Tori's hand. "Cat will tell you everything. C'mon Tori, let's go and leave mommy and daddy to talk."

Cat was even more nervous now. "Jade!"

"You're gonna have to tell him sometime!" Jade called over her shoulder as she dragged Tori out of the store.

Cat started to whimper as she walked up to Beck slowly. She was so nervous that she stared trembling.

"Sweetie, what's wrong?" Beck asked softly, his eyebrows furrowing as a look of worry etched itself across his face. "What's going on?" He reached out and took her hands in his.

Cat bit her lip. It was now or never. "Beck, I-I…I'm pregnant."

Beck reacted in a way that Cat was in no ways expecting.

He didn't smile, get mad, or cry—he just fainted dead away.

* * *

_3 months later_

* * *

"Cat, do you really need to be doing that?"

Cat sighed, rolling her eyes at her husband. "Beck, calm down! I'm just taking the cupcakes out of the oven!" She giggled a bit as she placed the pan on the stovetop. "I know you're excited about the baby, but there's no need for you to worry _this_ much. The doctor said the baby's perfectly healthy, and I'm only 3 months, I can still move around."

Beck drummed his fingers on the granite countertop. "Yeah, I know. I'm sorry."

Cat smiled, walking over to peck his lips. "Don't be, it's fine." She removed her apron and hung it on a chair before rubbing the small baby bump. "Besides, once our little girl—"

"Or boy." Beck interjected quickly, smirking a bit.

"Yes, or _boy__…_once he or she starts growing more and I start getting bigger, _then_ you need to worry." Cat yawned and strode over to the living room to watch some TV.

Beck had already beaten her to the couch before she had a chance to walk over to it. He cleared off a space for her to sit or lie down. He grabbed the remote and turned to her favorite channel.

Cat put on hands on her hips. "What, now I can't touch the remote? Gimmie that." She quickly snatched the remote away from his hands and plopped down on the couch.

"Cat, be careful!"

"Beck, the doctor said I could move for God's sakes! CALM DOWN!" She hadn't meant to scream at him (she honestly hated getting mad at anyone), but he was really starting to piss her off.

"I-I'm sorry…" She apologized quickly and raked a hand over her face.

"No, it was my fault." Beck apologized in a rush, running his hand through his hair. "I'm just freaking out too much." He sighed. "Should I go to work now or stay here with—"

"Go to work." She cut him off quickly, pointing to their front door.

Beck chuckled lightly. "Okay, okay I can take a hint. I'll be back around six. Call me if you need me, okay?"

She nodded. "But I probably won't."

He smiled and gave her a kiss before leaving the house.

* * *

It was around 5:00 when the phone in Tori and Jade's living room rang.

"Jade, can you get that?" Tori yelled from the kitchen.

Jade, who was lying down on the couch watching TV, groaned. "I don't want to!"

"Jade, please! I'm trying to fix dinner—"

"Alright, alright!" Jade huffed, sitting up and grabbing the phone before the person on the other line hung up. "Hello?"

The sound of someone breathing and shaking filled Jade's ears, making her both curious and worried. "Hello?" She repeated.

"J-J-Jade, it's m-me."

Jade sat forward in her seat, now very worried. "Cat? What's the matter?"

"C-can y-you a-and T-Tori c-come o-over p-please?"

Tori peeked her head in from the kitchen. "Who is it?"

Jade waved her hand to shush Tori, which made the brunette frown.

"Cat, tell me what's wrong _now_. Why are you talking like that—" The house suddenly fell silent as Jade stopped talking and paled. A look of shock washed over her face, making Tori wonder even more what the problem was.

Jade released a shaky breath, instantly breaking the uncomfortable silence. "We're coming right over, okay? Just hang on."

Jade hung up the phone, standing as she grabbed her keys from the coffee table and headed for the door.

"Jade! What's wrong?" Tori asked, biting her lip worriedly.

Jade turned around and looked at Tori as tears stung her eyes. "We've got to go see Cat right now."

"But why?" Tori asked, grabbing her jacket and PearPhone.

"Tori, she…she lost the baby."

* * *

"Why did this have to happen?!" Cat wailed as she went into yet another fit of sobs. Tori hugged her best friend and tried to comfort her as best her ability, trying to fight tears of her own.

"Do you know how it happened?" Tori asked softly.

Cat bit her lip. "I don't know, I just…maybe I was moving around too much."

"But Cat, you were being really careful all this week, we even made sure of it!" Tori exclaimed. "I don't get it..."

"Sometimes women have miscarriages for no reason at all." The redhead said as she sniffled. "B-but the baby was perfectly healthy, I just can't figure it out!" More tears spilled down Cat's cheeks.

Jade was pacing about the bedroom, trying her best to ignore the large red spot that stained the white sheets. "Have you talked to Beck yet?"

Cat shook her head. "But h-he'll be home s-soon…and he'll gonna be so disappointed in me!"

"No he won't be, Cat. This wasn't your fault." Jade said as she tried to keep the redhead calm.

"Hey, do you think we need to take her to the hospital?"

Jade dug in her pocket and tossed Tori her car keys. "Go ahead and take her, we need to be safe. I'll take care of things here before Beck gets back. And take her a change of clothes too, Tori, she's gonna need them."

Tori nodded, rubbing Cat's shoulders. "Cat, go ahead to the car. I'll grab some clothes and meet you out there, okay?"

"Kay." Cat said softly, taking the keys from Tori's hand and leaving the room.

"God, I feel so sorry for her." Tori said quietly as she pulled out a few things out from the closet for Cat.

"I know…" Jade began, shoving her hands in her pockets. "She loved that kid so much, they both did…" Jade swallowed thickly, blinking back tears. "I've gotta get these sheets off the bed and get the room cleaned up before he gets back."

"You're gonna try and hide it from Beck?" Tori questioned, her brows furrowing.

Jade nodded. "As long as I can, anyway. Cat needs to be the one to tell him, he doesn't need to come home and find out like this."

Tori bit her lip and sighed.

* * *

Thankfully, Cat didn't have any infection due to the miscarriage, but the doctors did want to keep her overnight to run some tests and ensure she was okay.

"Are you about to leave?" Cat asked Tori once she was comfortably settled in her room.

The brunette nodded. "Beck will be here soon."

Once again, tears filled Cat's eyes. "He's going to be so disappointed in me…"

"Stop saying that." Tori said, gently squeezing the girl's hand. "It wasn't your fault that you lost the baby, Cat...I don't know why, but these things happen sometimes. Beck will understand."

"What will I understand?"

Cat and Tori both looked towards Beck, who was currently standing in the doorway looking extremely worried.

"Hi…" Cat said softly, trying her best to smile.

"I'm gonna go. See you later, Cat." Tori said after clearing her throat.

Beck walked over to the bed as Tori quietly slipped out of the room. "Jade called me at work, I came as soon as I could…what's going on?" Beck asked as he sat down. "Is the baby okay?"

The feeling of being punched in the gut returned once Beck mentioned the baby. Cat tried to blink back her tears, but they fell regardless of her efforts. "There isn't going to be any baby." She whispered.

"W-what are you talking about?" Beck asked, his voice quivering nervously. In the back of his mind, he already knew the answer to his question, but he didn't want to believe it.

"I lost the baby, Beck."

After the words hit his ears, Beck let out a shaky breath and closed his eyes. He felt like he was dying inside. Their baby, their little blessing that they both loved with everything in them—gone in a blink of an eye.

"Beck?' Cat asked, covering his hand with her own. "Are you okay?"

Beck opened his eyes and looked at his wife, shaking his head. "No. I don't think I will be for a long time."

Lips trembling and eyes watery, Cat outstretched her arms to Beck. He wrapped his arms around her as he hugged her tightly, and she buried her face in his neck as the sound of their quiet sobs filled the small room.

* * *

There was no true happiness in the Oliver household in the months that followed Cat's miscarriage. Conversations were few; smiles were even fewer—and often never legitimate if shown.

Yet and still, despite the pain in their hearts, Beck and Cat tried their best to keep each other's spirits lifted. It was the only way they were able to go on day-to-day—each other.

It was a quiet Saturday afternoon. This particular Saturday was Cat's 24th birthday, and although she wasn't in much of a celebratory mood, she nevertheless found herself at a small get together for her at Tori and Jade's house.

A handful of her friends from the music industry, along with André, Robbie and Trina were in attendance. Overall, the party was decent in Cat's opinion. Sinjin, who also doubled as the DJ, was in a corner of the room playing a few songs from one of her many albums, rocking along to the various beats. Beck stood with a wineglass in his hand, happily conversing with Alyssa Vaughn. Cat didn't mind it too much, because she knew Beck would never mess around with another woman—but she still wasn't sure how Alyssa was considered a friend of theirs in the first place.

"Enjoying your party, Cat?"

Cat turned around to see Tori, wineglass in hand, smiling at her. Cat gave her a smile, albeit unreal, back at her.

"Yeah, it's great...but where's Jade? I haven't seen her all day."

"Oh, she's upstairs with the baby." Tori said before sipping more of her drink.

Cat's brows furrowed in confusion. "The adoption papers came through already?"

Tori grinned as she nodded. "Yeah, about a month or two ago. She's an absolute sweetheart, her name's Madison. You wanna go up and see her?"

Cat immediately shook her head. "No, I'm fine down here…"

"Oh c'mon, she needs to see her auntie Cat!" Before Cat could protest any further, Tori seized her wrist and practically dragged her upstairs.

After reaching the top of the stairs, Tori and Cat slowly crept towards the partially open bedroom door. Tori peeked her head in the door. "Babe, can we come in?"

"Who's we?" Jade asked, leaving the side of the crib as she walked over and swung the door wide open. "Oh, it's just Cat. Come in I guess. But be quiet."

Cat and Tori quietly stepped inside the dimly lit room. Jade watched as Tori walked over to the crib and carefully took Madison out. The baby cooed softly as she smiled at her mother.

"How's mama's baby girl?" Tori said with a soft smile as she nuzzled Madison's cheeks. "Has Jadey been nice to you?"

Jade shot Tori a glare. "I've been nice to her. She's my kid too y'know."

Tori rolled her eyes a bit. "Relax, Jade. I was only kidding."

Jade looked over at Cat, who up to that point had been standing awkwardly to the side with a worried look on her face. "Cat, don't you wanna see the baby?"

Cat snapped out of her trace. "Um, kay kay."

She then proceeded to walk over to Tori and Madison. For the first time in a while, Cat smiled genuinely. Madison had clear blue eyes that glowed with curiosity, along with tufts of black hair sitting neatly atop her head. Her tiny little smile seemed to grow wider when she saw Cat.

"Hi there sweetheart." Cat said as she held out her pinky for Madison to take. "Whoa, she's got a strong grip already," Cat giggled a bit as Madi took hold of her finger and squeezed it.

"You wanna hold her?" Tori asked.

Cat shook her head. "N-no thanks, Tori. Shouldn't we be going back downstairs now?"

Jade nodded. "Yeah, we should let her sleep."

As Tori went to put Madison back in her crib, Jade quietly led Cat out of the bedroom.

"Hey," Jade began as they reached the top of the stairs. "Are you okay?"

Instead of directly answering the question, Cat weakly smiled as tears pricked her eyes. "She's such a beautiful baby, Jade. She makes me think about how me and Beck's would've looked."

Jade comfortingly rubbed Cat's shoulder. "I'm sorry, I don't know what Tori was thinking. You shouldn't have seen her…"

Cat shook her head. "No, it's fine. Don't worry about me."

Tori then came out of the bedroom. "She fell right asleep." She whispered to both of them. Upon seeing Cat's face, however, her small smile faded. "Everything alright?"

Cat sniffled and wiped her eyes. "Everything's fine. You guys go ahead downstairs."

"What are you gonna do?" Jade asked.

"I've just got to use the bathroom, I'll be out in a minute."

Cat watched until Tori and Jade had gone downstairs and they were out of sight. Clutching her purse tightly, she walked into the small bathroom across the hall, closing and locking the door shut behind her.

Cat dropped her purse to the floor, her hands shakily reaching to open the medicine cabinet. Her eyes glanced over each bottle until they landed on the one she wanted—the painkillers she had planted there when she and Beck had first arrived.

Cat hurriedly unscrewed the white cap, her breathing heavy. She looked inside the bottle—not too many pills left, but it would certainly be enough to get the job done.

Her stomach swam with nervousness—ever since the miscarriage, the idea of suicide had bore itself into Cat's mind and refused to leave. She had realized, that if she couldn't give Beck a child, what was the point of even being with him? By losing that baby, she took away his happiness, something that she had vowed never to do.

_He should be with someone that__'__ll make him truly happy__…_ She thought as she poured an amount of pills that went over the recommended dosage into her open palm. _Someone who can give him a baby, and make his life complete. Not a stupid girl like me._

She popped two pills into her mouth, and took a large gulp of water to wash them down. A chill ran through her spine; whatever lingering doubts were useless to her now. She had gone this far, and she couldn't turn back now.

Although footsteps were coming up the stairs, Cat couldn't hear them. Pill after pill went into her mouth, her senses shutting down slowly.

After a few minutes, Cat's vision began to blur and her body began to numb. She heard pounding—whether this was from someone's fist hitting the door or the effects of the pills hitting her head, she didn't know. She felt her knees giving way as she sank to the floor. Vaguely, she could hear someone shouting her name. But the voices grew farther away as she began to lose consciousness.

She heard frantic voices calling her name as everything faded away into oblivion.

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**A/N:**

**:O Cliffhanger! Hehee, don****'****t worry, the last chapter is coming. I just wanted to give you guys SOMETHING, you****'****ve been waiting so long. Sorry for that. Happy New Year though, and review!**

**-AJ-**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:**

**And so, the last chapter finally arrives! I hope you guys have enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. I hope to have a new story out soon, be on the lookout :)**

**Thanks for each and every review, they're greatly appreciated.**

**_Read, Relish, Review._**

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Cat felt as though she were falling. Falling from a great height, dropping fast into an abyss of nothing but darkness and despair. Her whole body felt like lead. She tried to move something; an arm, a leg, but nothing worked. The inky blackness sent surges of fear throughout her body—she wanted to see someone she knew, she wanted to feel safe.

Cat felt trapped, like someone or something was holding her down and preventing her from waking up.

What was wrong? Why couldn't she open her eyes?

Panic seized her subconscious. Faintly she could hear voices, voices of people she knew and those she didn't recognize. She desperately wanted to see the faces that the voices belonged to, but again she was trapped.

Slowly, as if it were a light bulb flickering, the memory of what happened vaguely entered Cat's mind. Seeing Tori and Jade's baby—Madison, wasn't it—? Taking the pills, hearing Beck calling her name…

Then suddenly, a wave of pain hit her. Electrifying every fiber of her being. She wanted to take a deep breath, but her aching body only allowed for shallow ones.

The pain was unbearable. But even with it, she could faintly hear voices in discussion. She begged to interpret their words, but they were too low and too fast paced.

A soft but pained groan escaped her lips as she hoped to be heard by someone, anyone. Unfortunately that didn't happen. She hadn't even felt her throat vibrate. She tried once more, this time using all of the remnants of energy she had.

This time the voices stopped, for moments that blended together for what seemed an eternity. Then a voice came that she knew well.

It was Beck, and he was calling her name. His voice, albeit concerned, immediately brought a bit of strength to her bones.

She let out a soft rasp, laced with another call of his name as her eyes slowly fluttered open. The bright lights that flooded the room made her squint immediately, but when Beck's face came into focus there was no need to.

"It's okay babygirl," He began quietly. "It's me. I'm here for you. You're gonna be alright."

Cat felt tears fill her eyes. Her eyes scanned over Beck's face that was held stress, fatigue, and sheer worry. She had always hated to see Beck that way, and right now it definitely wasn't lightening her mood.

"You only have a few minutes, Mr. Oliver. Your wife needs her rest." An unfamiliar voice, probably that of the doctor, said suddenly. Cat would've looked at him, but she didn't feel like it. It was once the doctor left the room that Beck spoke again.

"How're you feeling, kitten?" He asked as she felt him grasp her hand tightly, rubbing the back of it with his thumb.

"I'm okay…" She somehow managed a tiny little giggle. "This is just like when we were eighteen and I was in the hospital. Remember?"

Beck's lips trembled slightly, fresh tears stinging his eyes. He was in no laughing mood as the memories came rushing back into his head all at once.

"Yeah, I remember, Cat…"

Cat placed her free hand on top of his. "I-I'm so sorry…"

Beck swallowed thickly. "I just want to know one thing, babygirl…_why_?" He squeezed her hand a bit tighter. "Why would you try to do this? W-was it because of me? Did I somehow drive you to this?" Beck was trying his best to keep his emotions in check, but with every word the task got more difficult.

Cat gently shook her head. "No, no it wasn't you at all, Beck. It's just that…" The tears the redhead had been holding in finally slipped down her pale cheeks. "After Tori and Jade let me see Madison, it just really got me to think about how we're never going to be like that—be that happy, I mean. A-and I just felt that, ever since I lost the baby that you were disappointed in me."

"Cat, I would never—"

"Let me finish." She cut him off quickly. "When I was pregnant, that baby meant everything to us, and to you especially. I took away your happiness when I lost our baby, Beck…" Cat's lips trembled as she cried harder. "A-and if I knew that if I couldn't give you a baby then there was just no point in being alive—" The rest of Cat's sentence was left unfinished as she sobbed quietly.

"Hey, hey…" He cooed softly, cupping her face with his hands, gently wiping he tears away. "Caterina Oliver, do you really think the only reason I married you was just so I could get a baby out of you?" Beck's voice was a bit harsher than he had wanted it to be, but he needed to get his point across. "Cat, if I had just wanted a kid I would've knocked up Tori or something!"

Cat winced. "B-but—"

"Now you let me finish." He got a bit quieter as he lovingly looked into her eyes. "Cat I didn't marry you to see how many children I could get out of you. I married you because I loved you, and I _still_ love you. I'm never going to stop for as long as I live, do you understand?"

Cat sniffled, nodding.

"No matter what happens, no matter if we have five children or none at all, I'm never going to let you go. Because _you__'__re_ my happiness, Cat. Not any baby. _You__'__re_ the reason why I get through every day…and I want you to promise me that you'll never try to do this again, alright?" Beck's voice broke with the last sentence, a single tear sliding down his cheek. "Please."

More tears streamed down Cat's cheeks. "I promise, Beck."

"Good." He leaned forward, pressing a tender kiss to her cheek. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Beck then closed the gap between them in a gentle yet passionate kiss.

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_Now I know our story has gone in increments of two, three, and maybe even four years. But this time it was seven months, not years, before Beck and Cat baffled the doctors and at long last conceived a child. _

_They named their beautiful baby girl Daniella, which meant __"__miracle__"__._

_Because that__'__s what she truly was._

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**A/N:**

**And so ends my fanfic! Hope you guys enjoyed! :)**

**-AJ-**


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